Not Until You Smile
by ElementalMageofFire
Summary: A mute recluse comes to Kadic. Can Odd pull her out of her shell? It won't be a Romance for a while, people. Maybe not at all.


Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko. I am not even vaguely French.

After becoming addicted to the show and surfing this site for C:L fiction, I couldn't resist trying my hand at it.

Yeah I know, its another "Odd meets girl" fic. Everybody groan now…but wait! Notice how it's not a love fic—heck, it's not even in the Romance category! So maybe, just maybe there could be a type of relationship besides full-blown "luuurve" ? Perhaps it'll change in the later future of the story, but its not gonna be your typical "He saw her walk into the room and started drooling down his shirt!11one!" And now, mini-rant aside, we's gonna get this train a-rollin'!

Chapter One: Blank Stares and Origami Sheep

They were talking about her again. Arguing, to be exact. From the hallway she could hear the two voices echoing from inside Mr. Delmas' office, one determined and unshaken, the other growing more and more frantic in the face of impending defeat.

Shoulders hunched, she stared at her shoes and feigned deaf to the discussion in the room behind her.

"Absolutely not."

"Mr. Delmas, I _implore_ you, it's only for this semester!"

"May I remind you _again_ that Kadic does not have the facilities to accommodate a child of her circumstances…this is no public school, sir!"

"I understand that," strained the representative, "but the nearest 'special' school is two districts away and nowhere NEAR where the Foundation is relocating to!" The Foundation being a community center (and in her case, shelter) for lower-class adolescents.

Mr. Delmas was unmoved. "So you want to burden her upon our faculty? The girl can't even speak, she has vision problems, and quite frankly looks about ready to keel over at any moment!"

The representative's tone grew more agitated. "There is a difference between being _mute_ and being _dumb_, sir. Surely you have looked over her test scores—"

"—I have, but—"

"—Let me finish. Her test scores show her to be of sufficient intelligence, do they not? And what of it if she can't see reds or yellows? That would matter on a driving test at best, and she's only 14! Furthermore, her medical conditions are not contagious, and NO, she is not a danger to your other students!"

The principal took all of this in before retaliating. "I'm sure she is a bright girl, but there have been enough budgeting issues with all the past medical expenses and we just can't _afford_ a sick orphan!" (This made the girl wince internally.)

"We are insured, Mr. Delmas. Your school will not have to put out a cent for her upkeep."

"I truly am sorry, I wish I could help you but—"

"_Huh_. You should be ashamed you know."

"I…beg your pardon…?" For once, the principal seemed put-off.

Seizing advantage of the falter, the representative adopted a different, more cunning tone. Choosing his words carefully, he continued. "Falsely promoting Kadic as a school of equal opportunity and chance." Then the ultimatum. "If it were to show up in the paper that the head of the school was _biased_ and _selective_ in taking students….."

An inner debate started up as Mr. Delmas was left sputtering from the verbal blow. _The man is bluffing, clearly he is only trying to frighten me into submission! But what if he _isn't?_ This is no longer about MY pride…the man is willing to throw the entire school's reputation to the dogs! I hate this…but…what else can I do?_

"I am waiting, Mr. Delmas." The man sat back, enjoying the effect. He disliked blackmail as a rule, but circumstances had brought him to it.

He sighed heavily. "One semester. ONLY one. And she will leave at the first signs of trouble. There will be no arguing that, will there?"

All hostilities dropped, the answer was nothing but cheerful. "But of course not, sir! I am a man of my word. And thank you for being so _reasonable_—you will not regret this!" He responded before the poor head figure could change his mind.

"Mmhmm, and I'm sure she will need lodging here as well?" Delmas was soundly defeated, as was evident by the weariness in his voice.

"If you'd be so kind…she is the only one who actually _resided_ in The Foundation, and since the old building is due for demolition…"

Another sigh. "_Fine_. You will expect to be billed fully for tuition and housing though. I will not bend on that."

"I wouldn't dream of asking anything less."

And with that, the door swung open and the representative emerged, looking satisfied. He turned his attention to the girl, who had not budged since.

"Come, let us get fixed with your schedule." And obediently, she rose and followed him.

Meanwhile, back in his office, Mr. Delmas was attempting to assess the situation that he had lost control of in such little time. He did this by mumbling choice phrases about the slippery character who had recently occupied the room. Not one to brood over unchangeable events however, he set about figuring just where to place the unexpected addition.

"Well, the rooms accommodate two people, and there are still many who only have one…." As he pondered this, he went through a list of the rooms and their occupants. "Hmm….Aelita Stone….."

_I don't get any of this! _The spiked blonde-and-violet teen lamented, staring down the intimidating paper assigned to him. The spaces under the questions remained as tragically blank as ever, and time was becoming an issue. He resigned himself to the fact that he simply didn't know. The weighty issue then lifted off of his shoulders, he decided to take the opportunity to brush up on his origami. _This time a sheep, I think…_

He had only finished a fourth of it when there came a knock on the classroom door. The class looked up out of curiosity and Professor Hertz was jolted out of the physics book she had been casually skimming through. Approaching the door, she grasped the handle and turned to the students who were still watching her.

"Please continue your work, everyone." This evoked a cloud of begrudged muttering from everyone except Odd, who had already returned to his sheep.

The door was opened and the professor exchanged a few obscure words with whoever was on the other side. "I suppose it will be no trouble…" She concluded finally, though disgruntled at the halt in the lesson, and took a few steps back. "You may come in."

At this, several students directed their attention back towards the door. They could hear slow, shuffling footsteps approach, abruptly halting at the doorframe. This gave those who were sitting at the right angle a glimpse of gray and black.

"_All the way_, please."

In she came, but a hint of a girl by the looks of it. She was small, pale and thin with a mop of short dark hair that almost completely obscured her face. Her leaden coat, shirt and skirt were worn and ratty but nonetheless clean. Clunky-looking brown clodhoppers took her further inside, coming to a stop at the instructor's desk.

Professor Hertz stood beside her and made brief introductions.

"This is Kumo MacKenzie, she will be joining us for the remainder of the year. I hope you make her feel welcome here at Kadic."

The class merely stared, nonplussed at the timid, shabby-looking girl.

"_Ugh_, don't let that scruffy-looking ragamuffin sit near _me_." grumbled Sissi. "What was daddy thinking, actually letting that _urchin_ into our school?"

As the professor was fixing her up with the various assignments they had been working on before her arrival, Odd turned to his solemn friend with a wry expression on his face. " 'Kumo MacKenzie'? What kind of name is that? I mean, the first half sounds Japanese, like Yumi, but who knows _where _that kooky last name came from!"

"You're one to talk about weird names, _Odd._" Ulrich stated simply, resuming his work.

The quirky boy shrugged this off and watched as the quiet newcomer walked past and took a seat one row over. He studied her face as she read a textbook, (what he could make of it under the hair, anyway) and became perturbed by its lack of expression. It reminded him of how X.A.N.A.'s victims acted when possessed. _But it usually goes after bigger, stronger people, right? You could knock this girl over with a leaf! _Something about her empty look unsettled him, though. The harshest contrast to his lively, impulsive nature was sitting but a few seats away and it _disturbed_ him on such a level…Something had to be done.

It didn't matter what the reaction, as long as he GOT one. Carefully, he tore a thin strip off of his paper, crumpled it into a little ball and flicked it at her.

It bounced off of her back and she turned her head quickly to determine the source.

Odd hid his mirth with the skill and success of a seasoned actor, innocently continuing his paper-folding until she was no longer facing him. Then he repeated the procedure a few more times, watching as her agitation increased with each paper wad. Finally, he chucked the entire half-made sheep at her, stifling a laugh as it landed atop her head and tumbled onto her desk.

At the final provoking, she stood up quickly and slammed her book on the table, face red with frustration. The entire class hushed, all eyes on her (this caused the red to deepen).

"Is there a problem, miss MacKenzie?" For a second time, the lesson had been interrupted and the no-nonsense teacher's patience was wearing thin.

"…." She shook her head 'no'.

"Then please take your seat, I won't tolerate any more outbursts."

Kumo's eyes swept the room angrily one more time before sitting down again, the students' titters only building her embarrassment.

"What a spaz!" Sissi hissed loudly enough for her group of friends—and Kumo—to hear.

Ulrich raised an eyebrow in Odd's direction, having seen the entire show.

"Was that really necessary?"

But Odd wasn't paying him any attention. Rather, he had gone back to watching his target. _Bingo_, he grinned, _she's not a X.A.N.A. crony! _And though her face had once again lost its emotion, he knew the means to bring it back. He was going to enjoy this year, he could already tell.

(End Chapter)

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Wow, that was a long chapter…might not make any quite as long as that. Who knows what the future will hold? (Hopefully I'll actually keep my interest in this one.) Well, love it or hate it, the story is here now. Feedback would be nice. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but pointless flames are not. (i.e. just writing "This story sucks!" without a reason as to _why_ it sucks and how I can go about improving it.) Whats more, they will be laughed at.

On that note, I bid you adieu until the next installment!


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